2 Samuel 2
1 Sometime after this, David asked the Lord, “Should I go to one of the towns of Judah?” “Yes, do it,” the Lord replied. “Which one should I go to?” David asked. “Go to Hebron,” said the Lord.
這事以後，達味求問上主說：「我是否可以上猶大的一座城中去﹖」上主對他說：「可以。」達味又問說：「我上何處去﹖」答說：「往赫貝龍去。」
2 So David moved there with his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, Nabal's widow from Carmel.
於是達味帶著他兩個妻子：依次勒耳人阿希諾罕和作過加爾默耳人納巴耳妻子的阿彼蓋耳，上那裏去了。
3 He also brought the men who were with him, along with their families, and they settled in the villages near Hebron.
凡跟隨達味的人，他也叫他們各帶家眷一起上去，住在赫類龍城各區內。
4 Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king of the people of Judah. When David found out that it was the men from Jabesh Gilead who had buried Saul,
以後，猶大人來，在那裏給達味傅油，立他作猶大家族的君王。有人告訴達味，基肋阿得雅貝士人埋葬了撒烏耳。
5 he sent messengers to them, saying, “May the Lord bless you, because you demonstrated your loyal love to Saul your master, and you buried him properly.
達味就派遣使者到基肋阿得雅貝士人那裏，向他們說：「願上主祝福你們! 因為你們對你們的主上撒烏耳行了這件善事，將他埋葬了。
6 Now may the Lord show you loyal love and trustworthiness, and I will also be good to you because of what you did for Saul.
願上主對你們顯示他的慈愛和忠信! 因為你們作了這事，我也要恩待你們。
7 So be strong and be brave, for even though Saul your master is dead, the people of Judah have anointed me as their king.”
現在你們要加強自己的力量，作勇敢的人，因為你們的主上撒烏耳已經陣亡，但猶大家族已給我傅油，立我做了他們的君王。」
8 However, Abner, son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ishbosheth, son of Saul, to Mahanaim.
那時，撒烏耳的軍長，乃爾的兒子阿貝乃爾，已帶領撒烏耳的兒子依市巴耳過河，到了瑪哈納殷，
9 There he set up Ishbosheth as king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin, in fact over all Israel.
立他為基肋阿得、革叔爾、依次勒耳、厄弗辣因、本雅明，全以色列的君王。
10 Ishbosheth, son of Saul, was forty when he became king over Israel, and he reigned for two years. However, the people of Judah were on David's side.
撒烏耳的兒子依市巴耳為以色列王時，已四十歲，為王兩年。此時隨從達味的，只有猶大家族。
11 David ruled in Hebron as king over the people of Judah for seven years and six months.
達味在赫貝龍作猶大家族君王的年數，共七年零六個月。
12 One day Abner and Ishbosheth's men left Mahanaim and went to the town of Gibeon.
乃爾的兒子阿貝乃爾和撒烏耳的兒子依市巴耳的臣僕，從瑪哈納殷來到基貝紅。
13 Joab, son of Zeruiah, and David's men set off and met them at the pool of Gibeon, where they all sat down, facing each other across the pool.
責魯雅的兒子約阿布和達味的臣僕，也從赫貝龍出發，彼此在基貝紅池旁相遇，雙方就都停下，各立在水池一邊。
14 Abner said to Joab, “Why not let's have some of the men fight in hand to hand combat before us.” “Fine,” Joab agreed.
阿貝乃爾對約阿布說：「讓青年人出來，在我們面前比比武! 」約阿布答說：「好，叫他們出來! 」
15 So twelve men came forward from each side—twelve for Benjamin and Ishbosheth, and twelve for David.
他們就出來，點了人數，十二個本雅明人在撒烏耳的兒子依市巴耳一面，由達味的僕味的僕從中，也出來十二個人。
16 Each man grabbed his opponent's head and drove his sword into his opponent's side so that they all fell down dead together. That's why this place in Gibeon is called the Field of Sword-edges.
每人抓住對方的頭，用力猛刺對方的腰，雙方都同時倒下；因此那地方叫作匝得平原，離基貝紅不遠。
17 The battle that followed was hard-fought, but eventually Abner and his men were defeated by David's men.
那天也發生了很激烈的戰鬥，阿貝乃爾和以色列人，竟為達味的臣僕打敗。
18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was a fast runner, like a gazelle racing across the open countryside.
責魯雅的三個兒子約阿布、阿彼瑟與阿撒耳，那時都在場，阿撒耳的腿快捷像野羚羊。
19 He chased after Abner with single-minded determination.
阿撒耳便去追趕阿貝乃爾，不左不右，直追阿貝乃爾。
20 Abner looked back and asked, “Is that you, Asahel?” “Yes, it's me,” Asahel replied.
阿貝乃爾轉過身來問說：「你是阿撒耳嗎﹖」他答說：「我是。」
21 Abner told him, “Leave me alone! Go and fight somebody else and take his weapons for yourself!” But Asahel refused to stop chasing him.
阿貝乃爾對他說：「你轉左或轉右，捉住一個青年，奪取他的裝備罷! 」但阿撒耳卻不肯放鬆他。
22 Abner warned Asahel again. “Stop chasing me!” he shouted. “Why do you want me to kill you? How could I ever face your brother Joab?”
阿貝乃爾就再對阿撒耳說：「你不要再追趕我了，為什麼逼我將你擊倒在地，叫我日後怎有臉再見你的兄弟約阿布﹖
23 But Asahel wouldn't stop chasing him, so Abner drove the handle of his spear into his belly. It came out the back, and he fell down dead right there. Everyone who passed by stopped at the place where Asahel had fallen and died.
阿撒耳仍不肯罷休。阿貝乃爾就調過槍來，擊中了他的腹部，槍由背後穿出，他就倒在那裏，當下死了。凡來到阿撒耳倒斃的地方的人，都站住了。
24 But Joab and Abishai set off to chase after Abner. By the time the sun went down they had got as far as the hill of Ammah near Giah, on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.
約阿布和阿彼瑟仍在追趕阿貝乃爾，當他們來到往革巴曠野去的路上，基亞前的阿瑪山崗時，太陽就快要西落。
25 Abner's men from the tribe of Benjamin rallied to him there, forming a tight group around him standing at the top of the hill.
本雅明人集結成隊，跟在阿貝乃爾後邊，站在一座小山頭上。
26 Abner shouted to Joab: “Do we have to keep killing each other forever? Don't you realize that if we go on it'll only get worse? How long are you going to wait before you order your men to stop chasing their brothers?”
阿貝乃爾向約阿布喊說：「刀劍豈能永遠擊殺﹖你豈不知結局更為不幸﹖幾時你纔命眾人轉身，不再追趕自己的兄弟﹖」
27 “As God lives,” Joab replied, “if you had not said anything, my men would have continued chasing their brothers until the morning.”
約阿布答說：「上主永在! 若你不發言，眾人直到早晨，連一個也不會停止追趕自己的兄弟! 」
28 Joab blew the horn so all the men stopped—they didn't continue chasing or fighting the Israelites.
約阿布遂吹號，眾人就停下，不再追趕以色列人，不再進攻。
29 All through the night Abner and his men marched through the Jordan Valley. They crossed the Jordan River, and continued all morning until they arrived back at Mahanaim.
阿貝乃爾同他的人，那一整夜走過了阿辣巴平原，過了約但河，以後，又走了一上午，終于到了瑪哈納殷。
30 When Joab got back from chasing Abner, he gathered all the men together. Nineteen of David's men were missing in addition to Asahel.
約阿布追趕阿貝乃爾回來，召集了自己的人，達味僕人中，除阿撒耳外，少了十九人。
31 However, they had killed three hundred and sixty of Abner's men from the tribe of Benjamin.
但阿貝乃爾所帶的本雅明人中，有三百六十人，為達味的臣僕殺死。
32 They took Asahel's body and buried him in his father's tomb in Bethlehem. Then they marched all through the night and reached Hebron at dawn.
遂將阿撒耳的屍體帶回，埋在白冷他父親的墳墓內。約阿布同他的人走了一夜，天亮時已到赫貝龍。
